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Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...
Ranking in Rack Servers
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
4.2
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Density Optimized Servers (3rd)
IBM Power Systems
Ranking in Rack Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
2.5
Number of Reviews
71
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 4.8%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.1%, up from 8.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

Kalpesh Savaliya - PeerSpot reviewer
Good support, and this product well-suited to our size of environment
We use these rack servers for terminal operating systems The initial setup could be easier. I have been working with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers for five years. This is a stable product. For our use case, this product is scalable up to 16 blades, including two sites. I don't know how well…
Rohintan-Karanjia - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers security features, including HIPs, Postgres, intrusion prevention systems, and AI for specific tasks
We've found that sometimes, certain setups require better servers. Ideally, the next level of model that IBM offers would be perfect for those situations. Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge for some software. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow. So deployment is an area for improvement.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"In most cases, computes compute, and there isn't much differentiation, but one point of differentiation is Intersight cloud management."
"It is very stable and easy to use. It integrates easily with Cisco's cloud-based UC solutions. There are tools for management that make the management a bit easier, but we don't use them. We don't use what you would term as power users."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is performance."
"The initial setup is straightforward and easy to do."
"The VIC card is the most important feature."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the expansion and replacement of parts."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is server management."
"The server can be configured easily."
"We found working with IBM Power Systems that LPM is the most valuable feature."
"IBM Power Systems are secure and have fast processing."
"The technical support that clients get from IBM is excellent."
"The availability of a solution depends on the requirement of the customer. The most valuable feature is the virtualization. You can have this one system or you can use it for many. They were using almost 120 servers within that specific service."
"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the hardware is really good and reliable."
"Power VM gives us the flexibility to increase or decrease machine resources when required."
"When it comes to reliability, availability and profitability, nothing can beat IBM Power Systems."
"The performance is the solution's most valuable asset. It has one of the highest levels of performance I have ever seen. It's quite remarkable, in that sense."
 

Cons

"The pricing is too high and no discounts are available for our country."
"Definitely the support area needs improving. Especially the time response in case of hardware failure."
"The price of the solution is problematic, not the solution itself. It could be less expensive."
"Some customers have complained about delivery time. So, the main weakness is the lead time."
"The product's stability and delivery time could be better."
"On the contact center and video conferencing, I would definitely like to see more AI features. The AI features are key for us. You will find a lot of them in the cloud-based solution, but in the on-premises solution, they're hardly there. I would like to see the same AI features that are there in the cloud-based Cisco UC."
"Technical support could be more responsive."
"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve by adding a wider portfolio because they only have two main categories, the C-220 and 240. There is no wide range of options as other solutions have, such as Dell. Additionally, if it was more flexible with the configuration it would be good."
"The pricing is high."
"In the next release, I would like to see additional graphical dashboards to help the administrators access information more easily."
"Better manage heterogeneous footprints of all the different operating systems that are out there across one common interface."
"We have a problem with the storage software. The media to restore data is also not found."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"I would like to see IBM Power Systems integrate with all cloud types."
"Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow."
"Power Systems' price could always be lower."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is high."
"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
"The price of the solution could be better when compared to other solutions. However, when we purchased the solution we received Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in a bundle with other hardware, such as IP phones and networking switches."
"The server itself isn't costly at all, but the CPU and the RAM can be pretty expensive. You can buy a UCS for $2,000, but the RAM and CPU can cost up to $80,000. The most expensive asset is the intel processor, but it depends on how many cores you want and the technology you want to use on your CPU, like Hyper-V, etc."
"My company has an agreement with Cisco to get discounted rates. It is one of the reasons why we chose the product."
"The solution could be more cost-effective."
"The price of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack could improve. It's a little more expensive in comparison with Dell or HPE solutions."
"The pricing is expensive."
"When there is an error in the SAS drive of 10,000 RPM, my company buys support for 1,500 USD."
"IBM Power Systems is a really expensive product."
"Its price depends on the sizing."
"The price of the solution could be somewhat better and this is what lowers my rating of it to a seven or eight out of ten."
"IBM Power is more expensive than other rack-mount servers, and you have to have a license for everything, including cores and memory."
"Power Systems is very cheap and provides good value for money."
"Its price is too high."
"Why should I be charged for that use rather than a single CPU, a single socket?"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?
IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.
What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?
What I see is that with HP or Dell systems, there may be power failures in India, twice in a year. We have faced such situations where abrupt shutdowns occur due to cooling or power, and when the s...
What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?
We have been providing IBM Power Systems. We do government bidding also, in which certain cases have specific requirements that are catered by IBM Power Systems.
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
IBM OpenPOWER LC
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Aegean Motorway, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Artoni Transporti, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, City of Mississauga, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Kind en Gezin, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Nationwide, Quest, Talbots, University of St. Gallen
Cipher
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. IBM Power Systems and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
863,679 professionals have used our research since 2012.